Handcuff



Aug. 1 9, 1924.

C. MOERSCH HANDCUFF Filed April 13 1922 d a M M A la m l A A v FF. d @w W../ a d v my W rllllll 3 arms.

Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN MOERSCH, OF BAD NEUENAHR, GERMANY.

HANDCUFI.

Application filed April 13, 1922. Serial No. 552,085.

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Handcuffs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device fettering of prisoners. At one handle two 10 nipper arms formed like tongs are fastened which are pressed together and shut by a spring arranged in the handle-shaft. The opening of the fetter is eifected by pressing with the thumb on a knob let into the handle and compressing the spring, releasing at the same time the nipper-arm.

Devices for fettering in a similar manner are already known, but they are quite different from the present invention. This handcuff is distinguished by particular simplicity and small number of parts, contrary to the already known handcuffs with comparatively many parts. Moreover, the device is distinguished by a simple and even outside,

all prominent parts being avoided, so that only the handle with the shaft and the nipper-arms is to be seen from the exterior.

The invention relates to a particular device for shutting'and opening the nipper- These turn round two joints arranged at some distance from one another in the case of the handle. The two nipperarms represent two-armed levers, the inner arms of which turned to one another are quite short and formed in a particular manner. Between these short arms there is a shaft being moved by the spring with a particular head, which takes at both sides into curves of the lever-"arms and thus effects 40 the opening and shutting movement of the arms.

If this shaft with the head is pressed inwards against the spring by a pressure on the knob let in in the handle, the head opens the nipper-arms, whereas on releasfor the i Fig. 2 a side-view of the shut fetter,

Fig. 3 a front-view of the opened fetter.

a is the handle with the shaft 6 and the case 0. for taking up the nipper-arms 03. These turn round the joints e. The outside free ends of the nipper-arms overlap each other in order to shut completely. The inner short ends of the arms d are provided with particular symmetric curves f, between which the head 9 of the shaft h is lying, being under the influence of the spring Outwards the shaft it ends in a knob is, which can be pressed into a hollow space m.

\ The curves f at the inner arms of the nipper-arms are formed in such a manner that the head 9 presses together the arms d under the tension of the spring 2', whereas on pushing the shaft it into the case the head 9 seizes at the contrary curves and opens the arms. The inferior ends of the inner nipperarms are on both sides spared in a contrary sense so that they lead past one another, in order to open the nipper-arms as wide as possible. These sparements are marked by n. The shaft h is lying sidewards'to the case, as is to be seen from Fig. 2, that the inner ends of the arms are not influenced by the shaft h in their movement.

Having now described my invention, what I desire to secure by a Patent of the United States is:

A device of the class described composed of a handle, a slidable shaft therein, a case, nipper arms pivoted therein with their portions in the case beyond their pivots formed with curved portions, a head rigid with the inner end ofsaid shaftconfined between the said curved portions and engageable therewith, and a spring in said case acting on said shaft, the inner ends of said arms being cut away to permit of full opening of the arms.

In'testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTIAN MOERSCH. Witnesses:

HENRY W. HAAS, C. J. GERMAN. 

